Historic Sho-Me Baseball Camp Facility to Get New Life

Sho-Me Baseball Camp has been acquired by a group of Springfield, Missouri-based investors, led by Ballparks of America investor Paul Satterwhite, to revitalize a once vibrant lakeshore location. The historic baseball camp, located off DD Highway on the shores of Table Rock Lake, traces its beginnings back to 1958. The camp will be rebranded and operated by Ballparks of America under the management of Sports Facilities Management.

The investors approached this acquisition with a dual purpose. They see this as an opportunity to preserve the legendary baseball history of the property for a new generation of baseball players while also offering a new baseball experience that currently is not offered anywhere in the country. The Ballparks of America operations team sees this acquisition as an opportunity to offer new baseball experiences at Sho-Me that will allow teams and individuals who previously enjoyed the Ballparks of America experience to return to the Branson area for “next level” events. Ballparks of America will release more information on the new experiences to be offered at Sho-Me Baseball in the next few weeks.

“We see this as an opportunity to not only preserve the history of the Sho-Me Baseball facility, but also to pursue our vision of providing high-school aged players and families the opportunity to play competitive baseball and showcase their talents while enjoying a stay at one of the most beautiful lakes in the country,” says Satterwhite. “Our goal is to showcase the natural beauty of Table Rock Lake while allowing teams and individuals to come together in a historic place where they can experience both their love of the greatest game in the world and time with friends and family in a special environment.”

Sho-Me Baseball Camp was founded by two men with ties to Major League baseball, Ernie Nevel and Goldie Howard. The Camp changed hands several times over the years before the Schroeder family bought and remodeled the camp in the mid-1990s. Christopher Schroeder operated the camp for more than 20 years, creating lifelong memories for many baseball players throughout the region and the United States. Sho-Me has seen instruction from the likes of Gaylord Perry and Ozzie Smith over the years, along with countless others. Ballparks of America’s General Manager Scott Bailes even threw an inning or two at Sho-Me during his high school years.

Bailes added, “I have been lucky enough to take the mound in every major league stadium, and I have never stepped on a mound that had a more beautiful view than the one at Sho-Me overlooking Table Rock Lake.”

Ballparks of America staff will work to maintain the historic nature and legacy of the camp, including its rustic dormitories and gorgeous natural grass fields, while simultaneously bringing new life to the property. The Sho-Me Baseball facility will go through a rebrand and facelift in early 2022, and a limited 2022 tournament and event schedule will be announced in the next few weeks. Sho-Me Baseball will roll out a full 2023 schedule later this year.

For more information about Ballparks of America, visit their website at www.ballparksofamerica.com.

Ballparks of America is a premier 10U-14U youth baseball and softball facility located in Branson, Missouri, one of America’s favorite family vacation destinations. Our signature features are on campus stay and play suites and two-thirds scale replicas of 5 classic American ballparks, complete with the dimensions and elements that make each of these iconic stadiums unique. The latest technology in synthetic turf provides the most consistent playing surface throughout the summer season, complete with covered dugouts, bullpen areas, Musco lighting and stadium-style seating at various fields for an MLB experience. Ballparks of America is a member of the SF Network, the nation’s largest and fastest-growing network of sports facilities and is operated by the industry-leader in outsourced operations, SportsFacilities Management.